The Keyblade War
by The Forbidden Fox
Summary: The Oblivion...the Kingdom...two Bearers destined to meet, destined to end the war. But, will they forsake their destinies and turn to darkness? Or find their light within the other? [Yaoi]
1. Twilight's Embassy

**Author's Note:** Well, hello everyone! Welcome to the wonderful world of Kingdom Hearts...okay, okay, I'll stop now. This thing has been in the works for quite some time, I just never could focus long enough to get working on it. Silly me. This is based completely off the Secret Ending of Kingdom Hearts 2. So, for those of you who haven't seen it (go watch it, now!) and don't wanna spoil anything, turn away and walk in shame! Just kidding, come back, we love you anyway! Well, you know how those quotes fly by? One sort of stuck out to me and that was "The Keyblade War"...so, that combined with the wonderful look at all those pretty Keyblades inspired this whole story. Since that's about all I can go by, the whole thing is naturally AU (Alterbate Universe). So, enjoy the trip! Oh, and please PLEASE read the warnings. I'll accept flames, as always, but if I'm flamed for somethingI warned about...vicious hounds will be sent to your house.

**Warnings:** This is a slash/yaoi/boyboy story with multiple pairings, focus on RikuSora. Angst is always fun...maybe a character death on the side, depending on my mode. Expect slight OOCness, because hey, I'm not perfect.

**Disclaimer: **All rights belong to their respected owners. And as for the story...it's my Kingdom Hearts 3...so nyahhh!

* * *

_**The Keyblade War**_

_**Division One: Twilight's Embassy**_

_"Walk the path of destiny with purpose and an open heart."_

He could feel the sweat dripping down his neck; he could feel it running down in his eyes which made him blink. The salty flavor coated his dry lips and his hot breath blew onto his cheeks, trapped by the thickness of helm.

His arm ached. And his fingers, though covered by armored gloves, stung from the countless blows. Three more of his foes, creatures cloaked white, fell by his blade. Looking around, he noticed his enemies were gone for the time being. He could see in the distance far off blurs, and hear the other Bearers fighting their own battles.

But for now, he deemed himself safe enough. He collapsed to his knees, armor crashing with the force. His blade supported him and kept his ragged body from falling to the hard ground. The sun's cruelty and hours of fighting had left him exhausted and the breath gone from his lungs.

Blue eyes found themselves resting on the mighty blade before him. Its unyielding strengths shined in the sun. The weapon was known as a Keyblade; it was much like a key, prong detailed and ever-sharp. Its golden handle and beautiful silver body had cut many in this battle, yet showed no sign of it. For the enemy had no life-blood which they might stain the Keyblade's sheen.

Nobodies felt no pain. The white creatures simply vanished back into the Void from where they had come. However, these creatures may not have had blood of their own, but the Nobodies did have the thirst for spilling it from others. This is what forced the Bearers to wear the thick, protective armor.

The blue-eyed warrior stood with shaking legs. And he took another deep breath. Then he heard something behind him, and while turning, he caught sight of a flash of white with wide eyes. He knew he had no time to raise his Keyblade and he closed his fearful eyes from the Nobody's strike.

With his eyes closed, he did not see what happened but he heard it clearly. There was that definite hiss which echoes when a Nobody disappears. The blue eyes snapped open, and he was faced with not a white creature, but another Bearer donned in ebony armor. The other's Keyblade was still steaming with the dark vapor of the Nobody's insides. His eyes could not leave the beautiful weapon, the very weapon that had just saved his life.

It was a black Keyblade; as black as its Bearers armor. Intricately carved silver designs splayed around the handle and a shinning amethyst was embedded in the hilt. Finally, the stunned warrior gasped in recognition. He knew that Keyblade from his lessons and training.

"That…that's the Oblivion. You're the Oblivion," he rasped, looking up to the other's tall helm.

"You should be more careful," the dark one said. And that was the only warning he gave before he took steps away from the startled other. His long, tattered, black cape licked his greaves and his heavy boots kicked up clouds of dust from the blue cliffs.

The other made to follow him, "Wait! Wait, please!" To his relief, the Oblivion Bearer stopped, but did not turn around. "You saved my life. Won't you at least leave me your name?" The blue-eyed one waited, after realizing his mistake. Asking a Bearers name went against tradition. Names were given to those only of high class who asked them of another. The silence left him afraid. He knew he had overstepped his bounds.

He watched as the other turned to face him and reach up to his helmet. The blue-eyed one began to shake. He could not understand it; to take off one's helm was the highest honor among Bearers.

Before he could voice a protest, the Oblivion had removed his helmet. Silver locks fell from inside and he shook it. But with the heat, the motion did very little to remove the long strands stuck to the back of his neck and cheeks. Dust had made a band across his eyes and nose where the helm opened to allow sight. Yet his vibrant green eyes shone through the grime.

"My name is Riku," he said as he situated his helmet to rest on his hip. "Riku the Oblivion."

The other couldn't get his golden helm off fast enough. And when it was finally removed, it was dropped to the floor in haste. Blue eyes gleamed from an equally dirty face. "I'm Sora," he smiled. He could feel the silver haired one's eyes studying him. Sora glanced up and his gaze was captured by the green eyes framed in light hair. He couldn't find the strength to pull himself from their stare. Fire shot through his veins and lighting was sent through his back.

Riku was the one who finally broke the spell. He looked to the expanse of cold blue stone around him. He could not see many more of the white creatures, and those he could, other Bearers were making swift work of them. With a flash of purple light, the Oblivion vanished from his hands. Riku set his helmet on the ground and raised his left leg to lean on it.

Sora had still not let his eyes leave Riku's form. He barely heard Riku when he spoke, "The battle's dying down."

All the blue-eyed Bearer could so was nod, "Yeah."

The Oblivion then reached into a leather pack, black like the belt it was attached to, and withdrew a small bottle. It too was of an ebony color, but its topper was imbued with clear crystals. Sora could see there was some sort of liquid within it; however through the black glass he could not tell what the substance was.

Riku removed the top and took a small sip from the container. He replaced the cap, turning it only slightly to close it. Then, without warning, he tossed it to Sora. The brunette fumbled with it before finally catching it.

"What's this?" Sora asked as he held it to the sun, peering inside.

"It's just water," Riku smirked. "I don't have anything better, but it looks like you could use some more than me."

"But -"

"Keep the bottle," Riku kicked up his helm and easily caught it. After running a hand through his hair, he replaced the black helmet and summoned the Oblivion again. He shouldered the blade and Riku turned away from the blue-eyed boy, "See you around, Sora the Kingdom."

Sora was too stunned to do anything but watch him fade into the distance. Once the black shape disappeared over the horizon, he closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. But when he opened his eyes again, he was not faced with the blue towering cliffs of his homeland, but of mountains which brushed the sky and a sun glowing in the oranges of twilight.

* * *

"Sora? Sora! Wake up, Sora!" 

He came to awareness slowly. At first, Sora didn't understand who was calling him. The last he remembered was the tall peaks and the twilit sky. His eyes snapped open and as he sat up abruptly, his head connected with something solid.

A duel chorus of painful gasps sounded. Sora grasped his forehead and cracked open one eye to look at the blonde boy who was also clutching his own head.

The other one recovered first, "Sora, what are you doing? Are you planning on sleeping all day? It's already a quarter passed the eleventh hour."

"Wha-?" Sora mumbled, still only half awake. His eyes finally became focused, and they met equally blue tones. "Roxas?"

"Uh, yeah…who else?" the blonde boy responded. "What's wrong, bro? You've been dreaming again, haven't you?" When Sora hesitated, playing with the sheets puddle around his waist, Roxas sighed, "Was it the same one again?"

"Yeah," the brunette nodded. Roxas sat down on his bed, which was across from Sora's. The castle was large enough to house all the Bearers chosen to come live there. Yet, the two brothers were taken from their parents at such a young age that they chose to share a room. Now, some twelve years later, both remained in their shared quarters.

"You need to put him out of mind," Roxas smirked.

Sora looked to his brother. Roxas was a year younger than him, but almost the same height. Though, obviously not twins, the two looked remarkably similar. Both their eyes were a deep ocean blue framed by a rounded face. While Sora's messy hair was a reddish-brown, Roxas' equally strange style was a golden blonde.

The brunette uncovered himself and detangled his legs from his soft blue sheets. He swung his feet over the side, until he was sitting much like Roxas. "I can't, Roxas," Sora ran his fingers through his unruly locks.

"What makes you think he even remembers you?" the blonde asked as he stood up. He moved to their shared dresser and took the small black bottle from the top drawer. Sora's eyes were fixed on it. "It was three years ago."

"Three years isn't that long," Sora told him. He also moved to his feet and padded over to the dresser. He took the bottle from his brother's fingers. "And how many times did I tell you not to touch this?"

"Excuse me," Roxas laughed. "Get dressed, if you hurry you might make it in time for lunch." With that the blonde headed for the door.

"Lunch?" Sora whined, "But what about breakfast?"

Roxas only laughed as he turned out the door, shutting it behind him. Sora hastily grabbed one of his tunics and threw it on. He didn't bother making his bed for it was one of those things he deemed pointless. It would only get messy again tonight, so unless there was an inspection, it was left untidy.

When Sora went into the hall, he found Roxas speaking with a girl. Sora smiled as he recognized that red hair, "Hey Kairi!" Roxas and the girl turned toward him, Kairi waved.

"Morning, Sora," she laughed. He jogged up to them. Kairi was a close friend of Sora and Roxas. The three were not far apart in their age, and had grown up together in the castle. Kairi was the same age as Sora, but she was closer to Roxas' height.

"It's not really morning anymore, Kairi," Roxas joked. His brother playfully punched his arm and the three headed down to the kitchen.

While walking there, Sora realized that his friend shouldn't even be able to come downstairs yet. "Kairi, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be training?" Kairi was a powerful Bearer in her own way. Unlike most, who would wield their Keyblades in battle, she was training in the arts of White Magic. Her weapon healed, not hurt. On every odd day, Kairi was to report upstairs to train with the resident White Mage, Aerith.

"Nope," she smiled happily. "I get the day off. Lady Aerith was summoned by Lord Ansem."

"Yeah," Roxas laughed. "Unlike you, she had a valid reason for missing her lessons." The blonde laughed again when his brother's face became pale and he stopped walking. "Leon's pissed."

Sora ran a hand over his face with a sigh. Leon was one of the more powerful Bearers in Radiant Garden. It was frightening to see him angry, for he hardly showed emotion at all. Leon was the wielder of the Keyblade known as the Lionheart and he gave lessons each morning to younger Bearers.

"Leon's pissed about what?" a voice sounded from behind them. The three turned to see a young girl with short black hair grinning at them. Slightly behind her was a taller man with shoulder-length, brown hair. He wasn't smiling.

"Hi," Kairi and Roxas said at the same time. Sora, was slowly creeping behind his brother. It may have worked if Roxas had not been a few inches too short.

"Sora," the man spoke and the blue-eyed Bearer cringed.

"Yeah," he squeaked.

"You look like you just woke up."

"Huh?" he moved out from behind his brother, who was trying not to laugh. Kairi also was grinning. "You're not going to yell at me, Leon?"

"Why would he yell at you?" the girl questioned. She looked between Sora, the smirking pair beside him and back to Leon again. "Wait, you didn't steal his belt did you? I tried that once and he yelled at me." Those words enough sent Kairi and Roxas into a fit of giggles. Sora was confused.

"Yuffie…" Leon warned in a low tone. "Sora, explain yourself."

Sora scratched the back of his head, "I missed my lesson this morning. Aren't you mad?" The brunette unconsciously closed his eyes in dread. He could have run away, straight down that hall and onto the beach. Instead, he tensed and waited for his eminent demise. It hadn't been the first time Sora missed a lesson, for he was rather incapable of ever getting up on time, so he always had this deep-rooted fear of Leon. Sora blamed it on how many Nobodies he'd seen the Lionheart cleave into clouds of smoke.

"I canceled them this morning," Leon stated. He began to head to the stairs on their left which lead to the upper levels, places only certain Bearers could go. "Come on, Yuffie." Leon disappeared up the stairs, but Yuffie lingered a little longer.

"Why you-!" Sora lunged at his brother, who easily avoided. The blonde was laughing and wiped a fake tear from his eye in a dramatic fashion. Sora stood still fuming while his little brother slowly calmed his laughs. Kairi chuckled once; a small smile remained on her lips.

"You're just lucky," Roxas said. "It's not my fault that you sleep 'til lunch and have weird dreams." As he said this, Kairi leaned over to see Sora's face. His cheeks had the faintest tint, even when he grumbled at Roxas to shut up.

"Dreams?" Yuffie asked, the three had almost forgotten she was there. After a moment, something seemed to click, and she laughed too. A strange gleam came into her eyes, "Was she cute?"

Sora's blush only darkened while Roxas and Yuffie laughed. Kairi only wore a thoughtful frown.

* * *

"Lord Ansem, was there anything else you need me for?" 

An older man, clothed in a long, red tunic, took a seat near a table. He shook his head while running a hand through his blonde beard. The other in the room, a young woman with long golden-brown hair, bowed slightly and moved toward the door.

"Just one more thing," the man said from his seat. The woman turned to face him again with a smile. "I don't need to tell you how important this treaty is to our kingdom's future. I want all of the most gifted Bearers to be there to welcome the embassy."

"Of course," she replied. "Formal tunics?"

"Yes, I think that would be for the best," Ansem nodded. "Twilight is a kingdom of formality. We do not want to appear threatening."

"Which Bearers would you like to be present?"

"Leon…and you of course, Aerith," the lord said without hesitation. "Yuffie and Cid are welcome as is your young pupil." Aerith nodded with a smile. "Perhaps, Kingdom and Oathkeeper as well…those two show such promise."

"I shall inform everyone at once, my lord," the young woman bowed, her braid slipping to her front. She turned and headed for the door once more. This time Ansem did not stop her, he only began to fiddle with the papers on his desk. With a sigh, he hoped everything would work out well and that fate would shine on Radiant Garden once more.

Aerith found the three friends in one of the small dining halls adjacent to the kitchen. Roxas and Kairi were eating lunch, while Sora was busily eating what he had found leftover from breakfast.

When she approached, they looked up and smiled a greeting. "Hello, Lady Aerith," Kairi said. Roxas also gave a smiling greeting with a wave, but Sora was to caught up in his meal. Aerith eyed him with a smirk and shook her head with a sigh. Though, the brunette had to admit, she found Sora's childish personality uplifting in such times. The war had taken away many people's smiles. It was good that the younger Bearers still found the strength to laugh.

"Hello everyone," Aerith returned the greeting.

"So, how was the meeting with Lord Ansem?" Kairi asked. Her face had become serious. She knew from listening to the older woman speak on certain matters that the lord of the kingdom was planning something, yet she did not know the details.

"It went well," the woman smiled. She took a seat across from them, quietly adjusting her pink dress. "I have orders from Lord Ansem, to you."

Sora even focused on her now. "What? Direct orders?"

"Were the three of you aware that Radiant Garden has been working peace negotiations with Twilight Tower?" she asked. Kairi nodded, it had been one of the topics Aerith had spoken to her about before. However, Roxas and Sora seemed confused.

"But I thought we already were on peaceful terms with them?" Roxas voiced.

Aerith nodded, and continued to explain, "We are. But we have never been formally allied. We simply have been fighting the same enemy, therefore, fighting on the same side. Tomorrow an embassy from Twilight Tower will arrive and Lord Ansem will sign a treaty."

"Really?" Roxas asked. "An embassy? I'd like to see it." He glanced to his brother, "Wouldn't you, Sora?" But, his brother gave no indication he had heard the question. His face had suddenly become thoughtful and he was unusually quiet.

Before Roxas could snap him out of it, Aerith's voice compelled him to turn back to the healer. "Well, you're in luck," she said happily. "Lord Ansem wishes for all of you to be present at the welcoming ceremony tomorrow."

Kairi and Roxas exchanged an excited grin. Sora looked at her, eyes wide. "You mean it?" he asked.

"Yes," she laughed. "Make sure you dress in your formal tunics, no armor. And be there on time, Sora."

"Wha-hey!" Everyone laughed. Aerith bade her farewells and excused herself, her soft boots making quiet taps on the way out.

Finally, when she was out of earshot, Roxas turned on his brother, "Alright, what's up with you? You're thinking, aren't you? That can't be good."

Sora totally ignored the comment, for now. He would simply have to remember to suffocate his brother with a sock tonight. His blue eyes had lit up and goofy grin had appeared on his lips. Kairi and Roxas now exchanged nervous looks.

"If an embassy comes from Twilight Tower…he could be there! No, he has to be there," Sora mumbled, more to himself than anyone. The brunette rested his chin in his palms and continued to mumble his thoughts out loud.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" Kairi turned her blue eyes to Roxas. She watched as the blonde ran a lazy hand through his hair with a sigh. The girl looked at Sora once more only to see he was still lost in thought. Kairi had known the boys for years, and they had always told her everything. But, now…she felt as though she'd been left out of the loop.

"Unfortunately," Roxas replied. "Hey," he called to his brother. "Hey, Sora! Roxas to Sora….calling all Sora's." When the Kingdom continued to ignore him, Roxas gave a low growl and roughly whacked the back of Sora's head, "I said, Sora!"

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the forming lump. "What the hell was that for?"

His brother shrugged, "Had to get your attention somehow. Now, tell me you're not thinking about what I think you're thinking about."

"I'm not thinking what you're thinking I'm thinking," Sora was still rubbing his head and he smiled. Kairi laughed, although she was still rather confused. Roxas 'hmphed' and turned his head the opposite way.

"Think about it, Roxas," Sora started, "if there's an embassy coming, Riku could be a part of it. And I'll finally get to thank him!"

"Do you even know the chances of that happening?"

"No, but I don't have to."

Kairi watched the siblings argue for a moment more before tilting her head and clearing her throat to get their attention, "Who's Riku?"

"The Oblivion," Roxas drawled. Kairi's eyes went wide.

"You know him?"

"Yeah," Sora chuckled. "You remember a few years back when I said someone saved my life?" He watched her nod. "That was Riku…the Oblivion. He saved my life that day and told me his name. I've wanted to see him again for so long."

"And you honestly think Ri-the Oblivion is coming tomorrow?" Roxas eyed his brother as he enthusiastically nodded and laughed. With a sigh, the blonde rose from his chair. At times like these, there was no use in arguing with Sora. And Roxas had years of experience. "Come on then, let's spar. We should get a few matches in before curfew especially since lessons were canceled today."

"Alright," Sora agreed. Before anyone could get a word in, he was headed toward the door and out to the training grounds.

"Well, what do you say, Kairi?" Roxas smiled. "Scorekeeper?"

"You got it," she grinned back and followed the younger sibling after Sora. She didn't have time to think why the two had kept that from her.

* * *

Nightfall had brought Sora back to his thoughts. He sat on the edge of his bed, cradling Riku's bottle loosely in one hand. Roxas had already fallen asleep, so the only sound was his deep breathing, leaving Sora and his thoughts in peace. 

He knew there was almost no chance that Riku would be with the embassy when it arrived. With him being one of the strongest Bearers in Twilight Tower, they may have required him to remain fighting on the frontlines. Sora could only hope they had sent him as the escort, seeing as an embassy as important as this needed to reach their destination.

His blue eyes rested quietly on the black bottle for an unknown period of time before Sora placed it carefully back into his drawer. The Bearer yawned and stretched, hearing his back pop. Then he slid into bed, a hopeful smile remained on his face the whole night.

He didn't dream of Riku.

* * *

The hall was beautiful. It had always been a grand sight, but the banner of purple, blue and various grays adorning the columns made it grander. The colors were symbols of the kingdom of Twilight. Radiant Garden had been transformed in the excitement and hope of the peace at hand. 

Many Bearers had been invited, and all stood near the dais in their formal garbs. Some of the citizen granted special privileges also lined the room. Upon the dais, Lord Ansem sat in his throne. He too was dressed in elaborate clothes. To his right, Aerith stood in a beautifully crafted white dress trimmed in pale pinks. Her hair was down, reaching the base of her back. On his left, there stood a regal-looking Leon.

Sora, Kairi and Roxas, as well as Yuffie and Cid, were all standing in a group near the left side of the throne. Sora stood in front, giving him a clear view of the large, ornate doors at the back of the hall. The brunette found he couldn't stop fidgeting and he'd begun to sweat from anticipation.

Sora wore his formal tunic…and how he hated it. The pants were black reaching down to cover the tops of black leather boots, which were freshly shined and cleaned just this morning. His tunic was a deep blue similar to the hue of his eyes. It was trimmed in white and a red cloth belt hung from his waist.

He had brought Riku's vial with him. The Kingdom had grabbed it from his drawer as an afterthought, and he didn't know why. Sora looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep, calming breath. He was jolted when the doors were opened by an attendant announcing the arrival of the embassy.

The people all turned to the back, whispering to one another. Soon four figures, in complete battle-gear could be seen slowly making their way to the door. Sora saw Lord Ansem rise from his seat, but his wide eyes did not leave the four Bearers striding through the door.

Sora's gaze could not be torn from the figure leading the way, the one donned in familiar ebony armor…

* * *

**Author's Note: **I have a sick, sick obsession. Anyways, I'd appriciate a review or two. Ja ne! 


	2. Let the Sun Rise

**Author's Note: **Ack! I suck so much! Can you believe how long this took me! Forgive me, oh good readers, forgive! I hate school, but that's no excuse for me not putting anything up when I still had summer left. I guess cause this is just a filler...but still, I hit so many road blocks with this chapter it's not even funny. I hope its length will make up for its lack of updating. The thing was like 17 pages long!

**Warnings:** This is a slash/yaoi/boyboy story with multiple pairings, focus on RikuSora. Angst is always fun...maybe a character death on the side, depending on my mood. Expect slight OOCness, because hey, I'm not perfect.

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, I don't own Kingdom Hearts. But I do keep Riku tied up in the closet. His moans make a good muse when I'm writing angst. (evil grin) But the plot is mine. Though the idea for this came from the Secret Ending to KH2...

* * *

**_The Keyblade War_**

**_Division Two: Let the Sun Rise_**

_"Walk the path of destiny with purpose and an open heart."_

The mutterings began almost instantly. The commoners, who were stunned to see fully-armored Bearers stride in, were whispering and turning to one another. They all knew of the warriors of Twilight Tower, and most had heard stories of the black fighter, Oblivion. But, it was the other Bearers present who were most surprised. All were too in awe to speak.

Leon and Aerith both shared a look of shock from Ansem's side. The lord was standing, a rather unreadable expression had snuck to his face, and he nodded a greeting to the four as they neared the throne.

When they were about ten paces from the steps of the dais, all of them stopped, lined perfectly straight side-by-side. At the very same instant the Bearers of twilight extended their right hand in front of them and then drew their fist to their chest, armor clinking softly in the customary greeting of Twilight Tower's warriors. Then, arm still at their chest, all four bowed slowly.

Lord Ansem knew of the formality of that kingdom, yet it still surprised him to see four unknown people not from his kingdom show him such a sign of respect. His eyes softened and said, "Rise, my guests, you have no need of such gestures here. We welcome you, and our greatly honored by your company." He watched as they straightened, again all at the same time. "I am Lord Ansem the Wise. Radiant Garden gives you its fondest welcome, Bearers of Twilight."

All the gathered watched and listened for their response. The one in black armor was the one to move first, his hands rising to his helm. Sora found himself holding his breath. Would he see silver hair spill from that helmet just as before? Or was this some other Bearer, and Riku truly was not here? If the blue-eyed boy had been more aware, he would have noticed that he was not the only one refusing to breathe. Many of the gathered waited with wide-eyes as the Bearer they had heard so much about removed his helm.

The three other Bearers were also removing their own helms; they had followed the other's lead. But the black warrior drew his off first. Pale skin cloaked in silver locks was revealed, and Leon once again glanced to Aerith. If this truly was the Oblivion, neither expected him to be so young.

Sora had to close his eyes and rub them to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He took a breath and slowly cracked one eye open. His vision cleared and there was the same green-eyed boy he had met three years ago. He turned happily to his brother, and Roxas only smirked and told Sora to pay attention.

Finally, Riku spoke, "We thank you for your welcome." He turned to his right and gestured to the Bearer farthest from him. He was donned in deep crimson armor, small golden flames etched into the gauntlets and breastplate. He wore a black tunic under his armor, only showing in the very few openings around his body, and the long cape trailing behind him was also black with a golden silk underside. "That is Axel the Flametongue, one of the Elite Guard." Axel nodded slightly to Ansem, his red hair falling slightly to his sides as he did.

Riku again gestured, but this time to the man standing to his right, fairly close. This Bearer's armor was a deep blue. Unlike Axel's, his had no patterns carved into the metal. His under tunic was a grey shade, matching his dark grey cape. He turned his blue eyes in Ansem's direction even before Riku introduced him, "The Fenrir, Cloud…a top-ranking Elite Guard." Cloud also bowed his head, although a bit more than Axel had. His hair was short, spiked and a golden color.

Finally, Riku turned to face the female Bearer on his left. Her armor was a beautiful white with a pale blue heart etched into the center of her breastplate. Her tunic was white trimmed in cream while her cape was a pale blue just like the design on her chest. She smiled, blue eyes sparkling and also tipped her head, allowing her blonde locks to tumble over her shoulders. "And this is Namine the Memory Maker, my scribe."

With that, Riku faced Ansem himself, straightened and spoke, "I am Riku the Oblivion, youngest son of the Honored Lord Hojo, brother to the Lord Sephiroth, and acting lord of Twilight Tower." He did not bow.

The murmuring began again, and a few voiced their shocks through audible gasps. One could almost taste the shock collected in the chamber. However, the silver-haired boy seemed unaffected by it all.

Ansem momentarily was at a loss for words. Not only did he never expect the Oblivion to be the son of Lord Hojo, but he also never expected for Twilight Tower to send their own prince on such a mission. The lord quickly recovered from his lapse in dignity, "I had heard of the Lord Sephiroth's disappearance. I did not know you had taken the throne, Lord Riku. In any event, you are very welcome here, my friends."

"And we are honored, Lord Ansem," Riku replied.

"Well, you must be tired from your journey... Leon is you would show the lords to their rooms and Aerith, would you escort the Lady Namine?" Ansem said. Leon and Aerith bowed and stepped forth. The warriors let their straight stances fall and looked around the room. Leon answered Axel's various questions while Cloud remained silent though never far from Riku. Namine and Aerith were the first to leave, the blonde giving a smile and a wave to her male companions.

Riku found himself glancing at the gathered. He was not one for crowds, but he was glad to be inside. The journey between the borders had taken them three days. This was a bit faster than the norm, for they hadn't run into any Nobodies, yet still his body ached for rest. Then Riku's gaze met that of strikingly familiar blue eyes. He smiled.

Sora immediately froze. He had been staring and now he was caught. When Riku smirked at him, he found that he could barely breathe. Did the Bearer actually remember him? Just as Sora willed his heavy feet to take a step, Riku turned away and was ushered out the hall by Leon.

Sora dropped his gaze to the floor with a disappointed sigh. He had meant to go speak with Riku and give him back the bottle he had brought with him. The brunette bit the inside of his cheek and then turned to Roxas. He found his brother wearing a strange expression.

"What's up with you?" he asked.

The look fled from the blonde's face and red appeared on his cheeks. "Huh…what?" Sora laughed and gave him a sly look. "What! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Sora laughed again, "What's with the look? See something you like?"

After smacking his brother for the tease, Roxas said, "No! That stupid red-haired one kept staring at me and winking!"

"Oh, so he sees something _he _likes," Sora taunted again, which in turn earned him another punch. "Stop hitting me, you stud!" Sora laughed.

"Who's a stud?" they suddenly heard. Both turned to the sound to see that Yuffie and Kairi had walked up behind them.

"Roxas is," Sora grinned to Yuffie who laughed as well. Kairi giggled and Roxas growled. "Alright, geez, I'll be good now, I swear!"

"Isn't it cool?" Yuffie smiled. "There's an actual prince here! Radiant Garden doesn't have a prince! Oh, I wonder what his favorite color is…or his favorite food-"

"Aren't you over-reacting, Yuffie?" Kairi smiled.

Yuffie shook her head, "No! It's not everyday you get to meet a prince." She happily was near jumping and her grin was unbelievably wide. The four laughed again.

"Riku never told me he was a prince…though I suppose it really wasn't the place to have a conversation…" Sora said as he rubbed the back of his head. In truth, he was quite surprised to know that the same Riku who he had met years ago was the heir to the kingdom of twilight. The shock of just seeing Riku again had overpowered that feeling, but now that it had worn away, he was in awe.

"Riku?" Yuffie questioned. "You speak of him so informally. Is he like a friend of yours or something?"

"Ah, no…we just met before," Sora supplied.

"That and my brother is just disrespectful," Roxas smirked. "You really should call him Lord Riku, Sora. It doesn't matter what happened years ago, you could get in trouble." The blonde watched his brother sigh and nod quietly, agreeing for now.

Before Roxas could say anything else, the group noticed that Aerith had returned and was heading toward them. The brown-haired woman smiled as usual in a greeting. "Hey, Aerith," Yuffie smiled as she neared.

"How is everyone?" Aerith smiled back. "I heard you were talking about our visitors. It is exciting, isn't it?"

"Not you too, Lady Aerith," Kairi laughed.

Sora thought for a moment. If Aerith had returned, then the girl she had been escorting was most likely settled in her room. That meant Riku was probably in a room as well. Then out the corner of his eye he caught sight of Leon entering the hall again and speaking to Lord Ansem. He made up his mind, "So, where are they now?"

"Oh, they're in rooms on the seventh floor," Aerith smiled softly again. "They all looked worn. They will probably rest a bit and then join us for the dinner we are holding in their honor."

And with that, Sora took off toward the door, gripping Riku's bottle in his hand. "Sora! Where the hell-" Roxas shouted, and then went wide-eyed. "Hey, you idiot! You can't go up there! Come back!" Sora only looked back with his usual large grin, disappearing out the doorway. With a frustrated growl, his blonde brother ran a hand through his hair and sprinted after him.

The three girls that had been left behind looked between one another in confusion, then broke out in a fit of giggles. Aerith glanced back to where the boys had gone with a small smile. She then excused herself from Yuffie and Kairi, for she had to help with tonight's preparations.

Leon had heard the commotion and turned away from Lord Ansem just in time to see Roxas run after a blur of brown hair. He sighed but Ansem only laughed a bit and patted his back. The Lionheart relented. He supposed if Ansem was accepting of the boy's behavior, he could stand it as well. And refrain from any strangling for now. Though he hoped they wouldn't offend anybody important…like any of their guests from Twilight Tower. With another sigh he followed his lord out of the hall barely hearing Ansem's comment which accused him of sighing much too much.

* * *

Roxas had already lost sight of his brother. But he knew the way to the seventh floor staircase. He just hoped he wouldn't run into any guards, and he was almost praying that Sora had, to put an end to his troublemaking behavior and to teach his dear brother a lesson.

Before he knew it, Roxas had reached the stairs. He ran a hand over his face and groaned. Why was he cursed so? The gods must have been laughing when they placed him into this family. With a quick glance around he started up the stairs. His boots made soft clicks each step; the tile was much nicer the higher one got. Roxas sighed, as if he needed one more reminder that someone like him should not be up here.

Upon reaching the seventh floor, Roxas again looked around for any sign of Sora or a castle guard. Finding neither, he took the first left from the stairs, heading quietly in the direction of the guest rooms. The blonde thought he had heard voices, but blamed it on his paranoia. But when he turned the last corner he held back a gasp and quickly fled back around the corner.

After gaining his breath and waiting a moment to see if he had been noticed, Roxas gathered his courage and peeked around the corner. His blue eyes widened when he saw two of the warriors of twilight. They seemed to be talking, so they hadn't noticed him. When he saw that one of them was the redhead that had winked at him, he sprinted down the hall back the way he had come.

"Forget this, Sora's on his own!"

* * *

Sora had found the guest rooms easy enough. Though now he had no idea which one Riku was in. He had been vaguely aware Roxas had followed him. But there was no sign of him now, which Sora didn't find all too surprising.

He sighed. Looking back down at the bottle, he wondered if he would ever get to give it back. Sora was so close. Then suddenly he heard a girl's voice from further down the hall and the sound of a door opening. Quickly glancing back and forth for a place to hide, Sora dove behind one of the nearest potted shrubs. The impact made the jar wobble and threatened to fall over. The brunette immediately grabbed the pot to steady it, closing one eye and hoping for the best.

The pot didn't fall, and the girl at the end of the hall hadn't seemed to notice the ruckus. Sora took in a thankful sigh and almost laughed. Peeking around thee pot, spiked hair getting caught between the leaves, he locked eyes on Riku.

The girl's voice he had heard had been that of the young girl Riku had come with, Namine. She and Riku were standing just outside the last door on the right. Sora was close enough to catch a word or two, but the rest was too hard to understand. Namine laughed and Riku smiled; Sora found himself, for no apparent reason, smiling as well.

Namine's voice shook him out of his thoughts; it was getting closer. Sora panicked when he saw that she was coming toward him, Riku already having bid her good-bye. "See you, Riku," she waved back and continued down the hall, right toward Sora.

"This is bad," Sora whispered. "Bad, bad, bad, so bad…" He pushed himself closer to the wall and scooted behind the plant as much as he could. Grabbing a handful of leaves he drew them over his body, trying in vain to hide. Sora closed his eyes when he heard the footsteps come closer, he held his breath…

And nothing happened.

The footsteps continued and a blue eye cracked open to see Namine disappear around the corner. "Holy…that was close." Sora laughed quietly. Although the whole experience had almost given him a heart-attack, at least he knew where Riku's room was now. And so, pulling himself from under the plant, he walked toward the last door.

The whole time a large grin was on his lips. And it was still in place when he knocked. But then, as if just realizing what he was doing, the smile fell and he panicked again. Looking back and forth for an exit, he thought about leaving. All his courage gone, he squeaked audibly when a voice sounded from behind the door.

"Who's there?" it asked.

And Sora felt his voice leave his lips, compelled to answer, "Um…me…?" The blue-eyed boy winced. "Idiot, idiot, idiot," Sora mumbled to himself. And drawing both of his hands to his head, his fists began banging on the sides of his spiky hair. "Stupid! What kind of stupid response is that? Sora, you're an idiot. Id-"

"Well, hello 'me'," he suddenly heard. Sora jerked his face up and stared into those green eyes. He was utterly speechless; his hands in mid-strike held up half way to his skull. Not only was Riku, Riku, standing in front of him after so long of a wait, but Riku was standing in front of him without a shirt. And for some reason, that brought a red tint to Sora's cheeks.

"Um…" Sora stuttered.

"Well, are you gunna stand there all day? Or come in? You had to have come for a reason, right?" Riku smirked as he stepped aside, clearing the way, and heading back into the room. "Hmm, Me?"

Sora followed, obediently, "Um, my name's not-"

"I know," the silver-haired boy smirked again, turning halfway, "Sora the Kingdom."

The brunette went wide-eyed. "You…you remember after all this time?" His voice still had not lost that nervous stutter. And Sora cursed inside at himself for getting so worked up. This was not normal for him. Of course, being invited into a prince's room was not so normal either.

"Three years isn't that long," the smirked remained. Sora found that smirk so comforting, that he finally found his grin again as well. "So, what did you want?"

"Oh," Sora said, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything…" Sora finally noticed that Riku still was wearing his greaves and his armored boots. Though, his under tunic and upper parts of the armor were lying in a pile to the side of the room.

"Not really," Riku replied. "Just changing."

"Oh, well, I'll be quick, I promise," Sora grinned. And Riku nodded in waiting. Sora let out a breath that once again he didn't realize he'd been holding. "I just wanted to give this back to you and to say thank you for what you did that day, my Lord" With that, he held out the small bottle and bowed so that he could no longer see Riku.

For a moment there was nothing but the sound of their breathing. Then Sora heard Riku take a step forward. He drew in a quick breath when he felt a hand wrap around his. Sora looked up to see Riku closing his hands back over the bottle.

"First off," Riku said, "this was a gift. Keep it. Second, you already said thanks. And third, don't ever bow to me again. And don't call me a lord."

"But…"

"I get that enough at home. Here…to you I want to be just Riku. Alright?"

Sora smiled, and Riku removed his hands. To Sora, it now felt as though he lost something. But, he didn't dwell on it. "Alright, but you know that means I consider you a friend now."

"I can't tell if that's a good thing," Riku smirked.

"Hey!" Sora huffed, and then broke out in laughter. Riku followed, although his laugh was quieter.

Riku glanced to the open window. "I think I'd better get ready, you know, the whole fancy dinner and all."

"Oh, right," Sora replied. Then silence crept upon the two, not the comforting silence among close friends but that awkward silence one dreads. Sora looked nervously back and forth. Should he just leave? Was that Riku's way of telling him to go? Wouldn't it be rude to just walk out? The brunette watched a smirk rise on the other's face again.

Sora made a mental note, Riku smirks a lot.

"Well, I guess if you want to watch me undress-" that was all that was needed to send Sora, red-faced, sprinting out the hall. Riku laughed and walked to the doorway.

Sora almost slipped five times on the tile floor, and still he kept going…until he ran face-first into something solid. That something sent him to the hard floor. He looked up and met deep blue eyes, not unlike his own. Sora thought he had seen this man somewhere before, but the blonde's cold glare kept him from thinking properly. It hit him just moments later. It was Cloud, the man Riku had introduced as a high ranking Bearer.

Sora was about to mutter a humble apology, when he heard Riku's voice from down the hall. He turned his head from his position on the floor. "Hey Cloud! Stop glaring!"

Sora laughed as Cloud grunted and walked away. Well, at least he wasn't mad.

* * *

As Sora walked back toward his room, he couldn't have a wider grin. The smile was firmly set in place, and his eyes were gleaming. He felt as though a weight had been lifted from him. For the past three years he had wanted to speak with Riku again and now he had, not only that, but made friends with him.

He knew Riku would be busy while he was here, at least for most of the time. He was here on official duty, though Sora couldn't help but wanting to spend some time with his new found friend. Perhaps he could give Riku a tour of the town?

"Sora," a voice called him from his thoughts. He turned to see Aerith smiling and walking toward him. "Oh good, I've been looking for you."

"Hey, Lady Aerith, what's up?" the Kingdom replied.

"Well," she smiled. "Lord Ansem wished for you and your brother to attend tonight's dinner. I came to give you the good news so you can get ready."

"Wha…really?" Sora's blue eyes widened.

Aerith nodded kindly, and then seemed to notice something. "Oh, what's that?" Sora followed her finger to Riku's bottle. He hadn't realized he had still been clutching it in his fingers.

"Oh, this?" Sora gently handed it to her. "It's a gift. Ri… I mean Lord Riku gave it to me."

"He did?" she held it up to the light. "It's very beautiful. Do you know what this is?"

"A bottle…?"

Aerith laughed, a quiet laugh, "Well yes, but do you know what kind of bottle?" When Sora scratched the back of his head then shook it, she explained, "It's an Elixir bottle. I didn't know these still existed since no one knows how to brew them anymore."

"Not even you?" Sora asked, slightly surprised.

"Not even me," the brown-haired woman smiled. "I'm glad you think so highly of me, but there hasn't been a White Mage in Radiant Garden capable enough to make an Elixir in many years. You should ask the Lord Riku, perhaps Twilight Tower's mage can still make them, and I'd like to know."

"I didn't know it was so valuable," he replied as she handed him the bottle.

"Well you better be off," Aerith said. "Make sure you're not late, or Lord Ansem may not invite you next time." Sora gave her his usual grin before saying his good-bye and continuing on his way. Her green eyes followed him for a while longer until they broke away and she walked to her own room, the whole time thinking on the mysterious Elixir.

* * *

The dining hall was completely decorated. Just as the entry room had been adorned in the colors of Twilight Tower, so had the walls in this room been neatly decorated in soft grays to welcome the guests. The long table was lined with twelve empty ornate chairs.

Lord Ansem was standing near the head of the table speaking with Leon, Aerith, Cid and Yuffie, all who had changed into new robes that were slightly less formal than the one's they had worn at the welcome ceremony.

Sora, Roxas and Kairi all stood together. It was a surprise they had been invited at all, and each held their tongues, something highly unusual for all of them, in fear of saying something they shouldn't. They could almost taste the air of awkwardness that hung about them.

The doors suddenly were opened by an attendant, letting the four Bearers of twilight enter. Ansem halted his conversation and headed to greet them. "Ah, welcome, welcome guests. I trust your rooms were suitable?"

"Very, my Lord," Riku answered. He was now wearing a grey tunic, symbolic of Twilight Tower's line of royalty. At his side, Namine wore a pale blue dress with white boots, Axel a deep crimson tunic with black detailing and Cloud wore a dark blue robe which hung at his knees.

"I am glad," Ansem replied. "Please take a seat wherever you wish." He gestured to the table behind him.

Everyone moved toward a seat, Ansem sitting at the head. Sora felt a nudge at his shoulder. He turned to meet aqua-colored eyes. "Hey," Riku said. "Mind if I sit by you?" The smirk was back.

"Uh, sure," Sora supplied. And he thought he heard the sound of laughter. But Riku showed no signs of it when blue eyes looked up again. With a small pout he followed Riku to the chairs.

Riku chose the seat to Ansem's left. Sora sat beside him, and in an attempt to escape to escape the red-haired menace, Roxas took the seat next to his brother. But his efforts were in vain when Axel took the seat on his right. Next to him, Kairi sat and gave Roxas an apologetic look for not moving fast enough. Aerith had taken the head opposite Ansem and to her right Namine was pulling out the chair. Leon was at Ansem's right and next to him was Cloud. This gave, much to Sora's discomfort, the blonde a clear path to glare at the brunette. And finally, Cid and Yuffie took the remaining two seats between Namine and Cloud.

Once everyone was settled, Ansem signaled for the servant to bring a round of drinks. "I had hoped you would tell us the situation at Twilight Tower," he turned toward Riku. "I know it is not the most suitable of table-talk, but it would be for the best."

"I understand," the silver-haired boy replied. "There's not much to say, or rather there is a lot to say that is the same news. Twilight Tower has been under attack constantly by Nobody forces the past few months. Our Bearers are running low on stamina."

"Truly, is it that often?" Ansem asked. "Radiant Garden has not seen a Nobody in over a month."

"That's because the few Nobodies that you see are the few that get passed us," Riku said. Sora looked at the lines now visible in his face. He could not even begin to imagine what it must be like to fight everyday. "We are tied to Castle Oblivion by the Gate of the Sinful. Ours is the world that is on the frontlines."

"We usually can handle the numbers, even in the thousands Dusks are still rather weak," Riku continued.

"Dusks?" the blonde lord questioned.

"Yes, the most common form of Nobody. We were forced to name the different types for easy communication."

"There's more than one type of Nobody?" Sora blurted out. Riku nodded. "But they all look the same."

"The one's that get passed us are usually the Dusks. That's why they are the only one's you see here," the Oblivion elaborated. "But there are bigger and stronger Nobodies practically knocking on our doors each day."

"I must say that I am surprised to hear of this," Ansem ran a hand over his beard. "And all this with the Lord Sephiroth's disappearance…has there been any news of your brother?"

"No," Riku sighed. "And I have no idea where he could be at a time like this."

"I give you my deepest gratitude for coming, I know it must be hard leaving now," Ansem smiled kindly.

"I left the place in good hands," Riku brightened a bit. "The sooner this treaty is signed the sooner I won't have to worry."

"True, my friend, true," the lord replied. "Is there any news from Castle Oblivion. The last we have heard was that the former ruler was overthrown, and someone else has taken control."

"Then you haven't heard much. Two people are ruling the kingdom now, one is the son of the former lord and the other a distant relative," the prince explained. "We know little about them, even less of their purpose in killing the former lord. His son was said to be the one to cut him down. His name is Xemnas the Nobody."

"The Nobody?" Sora questioned from Riku's side.

"Yes, his Keyblade has power over the Void, the realm of the Nobodies. They obey his command only. His father used him at the start of the Third War to his benefit. That's why even before he was properly trained as a Bearer, Castle Oblivion had control of the Nobody forces. The other, ironically, is also named Ansem," Riku continued while looking at the aging lord. "His Keyblade is called the Heartless, and is said to have some power over the Door to Darkness. We have reason to believe they want in for some reason."

"Into the Door to Darkness…?" Ansem sighed. "Troublesome news, indeed."

"Yes, but at the moment, it is not Ansem that worries me. Xemnas is no fool, he was considered a genius, and he is the greater threat," Riku replied. "Because at the moment, he controls the Nobodies, and the Nobodies control us."

The food was brought out after that. Ansem patted Riku's shoulder, "Let's stop such unhappy talk for now and enjoy our meal. We will sign the treaty in the morning and hopefully it will damper Xemnas' actions considerably."

"We can only hope."

The talk during the meal was much lighter than it had been before. Ansem and Leon were speaking of the newest Bearers and their training. Yuffie, Cid and the ladies at the end of the table all had a rather animate conversation going as well.

Riku turned to Sora, "So, you must be special getting invited to a fancy dinner and all."

"Huh?" the brunette said with a mouthful of food. Riku laughed as he swallowed. "I'm not special at all," Sora finally said. "I have no idea why I'm here. I'm just an ordinary Bearer."

"Well, there has to be something that makes you special," the green-eyed boy continued. "I mean, Lord Ansem himself invited you to his table. And if he runs this place anything like it's run back home, that means something."

"Well….I don't know," Sora thought aloud. Blue eyes scanned the table briefly and found that Cloud was once again glaring at him. "Um," he said to Riku. "Your friend is glaring at me again."

Riku looked over to Cloud, and laughed, "He always does that. It's fun to make faces at him when he does though. Try it." And with that Riku pulled down his lower eyelid and stuck his tongue out.

Sora almost choked on the food he was chewing. Is this how all princes acted? But, soon he was laughing, glad to get rid of the awkward feeling he had had all night. He took this as his invitation to be himself and pulled his cheeks, making a face out Cloud who made a noise close to a growl.

Suddenly Sora was smacked, "Sora, you idiot! Quit being rude!"

The Kingdom turned to his blonde brother, "I'm not being rude! Riku was doing it too!" Roxas gave him a look, the same look he always gave Sora when he believed him to be lying.

"And who's this?" Riku asked, leaning over slightly so he could see the other.

"Oh, I never introduced you!" Sora rubbed where Roxas had hit him. "This is my younger brother, Roxas."

Roxas seemed to be at a loss for words, he opened his mouth a few times but no words came out. Sora laughed, covering his mouth trying to quiet it, "You look like a fish!"

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Roxas," Riku smirked.

"Hey, Riku," came a new voice. All three turned to face Axel who was grinning from his chair next to Roxas. "You should see how jumpy this one is! Every time I move he jumps like five feet, it's so cute."

"Yeah well, you probably scare him," Riku said. "Hell, if I was sitting that close to you, I'd be scared too…I mean with a face like that…"

Axel snorted and picked up a piece of food as if he was getting ready to throw it. "Hey, Red," Riku smirked. "Behave, I'm enjoying my dinner."

A small laughed sounded from the end of the table, everyone turned to see Namine giggling from behind her palm. "Now boys, don't make me come down there and separate you!"

"Please, Namine," Riku laughed. "You're welcome to."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Axel said, mock-offended.

"My, you are all so close," Aerith suddenly said. The boys hadn't realized most of the table was listening to their conversation rather than continuing with their own. Poor Roxas and Sora turned red while Riku wore yet another smirk.

"Well, the four of us are practically family," Riku said. "Namine's family has been serving the royal family for generations, so even if I am a year her senior, we're basically from the same crib. As for Axel and Cloud, they came to the castle at a young age. We all have grown up together."

"It's good to see even at Twilight Tower there are such happy faces," Ansem smiled. Dinner ended soon after, yet many remained, talking with the newcomers.

Roxas had finally escaped Axel for the time being and was standing near the doors with Sora, Kairi and Namine. Riku had excused himself to make last minute arrangements with Lord Ansem much to Sora's disappointment. And Cloud had followed.

"Man," Roxas sighed. "That had to be the least enjoyable dinner I've ever had!" His eyebrows were drawn together, in what Sora instantly recognize as his usual sign of annoyance.

"Don't say that Roxas," Kairi scolded lightly.

"You have no idea, Kairi! No offense to you, Lady Namine," he stopped briefly to look at her. When she smiled, he continued, "But something about Lord Axel…I can't stand him!"

"Oh, I am sure I'm not that bad," came a voice from behind him. When Roxas felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder, he visibly tensed. "Calm down, Twitchy. I'm a good guy," Axel grinned.

"Excuse me?" Roxas turned sharply, roughly shaking the hand from his shoulder. "What did you just call me?" Roxas puffed his cheeks in anger, causing Sora to snicker from his side earning him a rather hard punch.

While Sora rubbed his arm, Axel said with a grin, "Twitchy…I called you Twitchy. You're so jumpy!"

Before Roxas could retort, Namine stepped in, slapping Axel's arm lightly. "We can't take you anywhere! Quit bothering him. And his name is Roxas."

"What a cute name! Hey Roxy," Axel held out his hand to the blonde, only to have it harshly whacked away.

"Don't call me that! My name is Roxas! Roxas! Do you want me to spell it for you!" Roxas shouted. There was a shocked silence for a moment before Roxas promptly turned on his heels and sprinted out the door.

"Roxas!" Sora called after him.

"Let him go, Sora," Kairi placed a hand on his arm. She then looked over to Namine and Axel. The blonde looked worried, and Axel was stunned. "Don't worry, he'll be okay. Roxas is probably just angry at himself for losing control. He is very concerned with tradition and rules and tries very hard to follow them. Unlike his brother," she gestured to Sora, "who tries to break all of them."

"Hey…" Sora pouted.

"Ah, I see," Namine smiled. "That combined with Axel's antics…well…"

"Hey…" Axel pouted, and the other three laughed.

Sora then took the time to glance over to where Riku had been standing with Lord Ansem. But even when he stood on his toes he could not make out that silver head. "Has anyone seen Riku?"

"Oh, well, I saw Cloud head out those doors a while ago. Perhaps Riku went there as well," Namine pointed.

"Those doors lead to the beach…" Sora drifted off.

"Oh then, I'm sure that's where Riku is," she smiled again. "Riku loves the water. We don't have an ocean, only a small lake, at Twilight Tower and he spends a lot of time at its shore."

"I'm gunna go look for him," Sora announced. "See you, guys!" With a quick wave he headed toward the doors leading out to the beach.

Namine waved back, "It was good to meet you!"

Then both Namine and Kairi turned when they heard mumbling. "What did you say, Axel?" Namine questioned.

"R-O-X-A-S. Roxas. See? I can spell it just fine."

The girls laughed.

* * *

Sora stepped out on the beach and looked around. The air was brisk, though not quite cold enough to be called cold, or call for an overcoat. The sun was just about to set, casting an orange glow on the water.

In the distance he could make out the various islands that were littered across the sea. And then he saw a dark silhouette standing near the bridge which lead to one of the smaller isles. Sora could easily see it wasn't Riku but he approached him anyway.

As he came closer, he realized the figure was Cloud. The Fenrir was looking out over the waves toward the small island closest to shore. Following his gaze, Sora caught sight of a silver head of hair leaning against the large, crooked tree.

He grinned and continued on his way. Cloud gave him a distrusting glance, but neither said something nor made a move, so Sora continued passed albeit slightly nervous.

Sora's large boots made the wooden planks creak. Riku did not turn until the brunette had touched the ground of the sandy isle. And even then, he tuned but slightly and gave a small nod.

"Hey," Sora said. "What are you doing out here?"

"Watching the sunset."

"Oh, I guess that's cool," Sora said. "I mean, I guess they can be pretty sometimes."

"I've never seen one," Riku smirked.

"Wha…? How could you have never seen one?"

Riku laughed. Sora hoisted himself up on the tree, so that his feet were dangling. He watched Riku, waiting for him to continue. "You don't know much do you?" he said, and Sora huffed. "The sun never sets where I come from."

"Really?"

"Really. The sun is always like this….stuck halfway in the sky, never setting, never rising. It's always twilight," Riku looked at him.

"So, you don't have night, or day?" Sora was definitely intrigued. "Then how do you know when you go to sleep? Or wake up? Or eat lunch?"

Riku laughed again, "You go to bed when you're tired and eat when you're hungry. You learn. Plus, there is something called a clock. Heard of it?"

"Shut up," Sora pouted, then gave a wide grin. He didn't understand why he felt so good when he was with Riku. He didn't feel the need to hide his true self like he did with Radiant Garden's nobility. He didn't feel like he had to impress him. He just felt good.

"Hey, that Cloud guy…is he like a stalker?" Sora asked.

"No," Riku glanced back to see the blonde standing in the distance and laughed. "He was assigned to be my bodyguard by my father. He takes his job way to seriously. He's a good guy though, I trust him with my life."

"Oh," Sora breathed. Minutes passed and silence drifted upon them.

The sun was now at the horizon, giving the last of its beautiful light over the rolling waves. "It's nice out here," Riku said as he closed his eyes briefly.

Sora found himself nodding along with Riku. He couldn't even imagine must it be like for Riku. This was the first time he had ever seen the ocean. To Sora, the ocean was just the ocean and the sunset, just a sunset. But yes, this, being with Riku, it was nice. "They call this place Destiny Islands," Sora said. "Only the people who live in the castle have access to it."

"Destiny Islands, huh? Seems fitting," Riku replied.

The brunette nodded again. "All lot of people think this place is magical. I mean, see that island over there? That's where the Door to Light is. So, it must be what makes this place so beautiful."

"I don't believe in magic or fairytales…not anymore…"

Sora looked at him. He could easily see that something was on Riku's mind. There was a pain in his eyes that could not be seen unless someone was looking. Still, Sora didn't think it was his place to bring it up. So, instead, he thought he would try to make Riku smile again, or smirk. He liked Riku's smirk.

"Aw, stuff like that is not a fairytale!" Sora grinned. "Like this tree right here," he patted the bark. "This tree has magic in it for real!"

"Oh, and what pray tell is so special about this crooked old tree?" Riku raised a brow and looked up at those shining blue eyes.

"Because this is a Paopu Tree!"

"And what the hell is that?" Riku turned, sling an arm on the bark so he was now completely facing Sora. "I've never heard of that before."

"That's because this one is the only one in the three worlds!" Sora said and stuck out his tongue. "See those fruit?" he pointed to the yellow star-shaped fruit hanging at the top of the tree, safely nestled between the palms. "Those are paopu fruit. And when you share one with somebody else, your destinies become intertwined forever."

"Now that's a stupid fairytale!" Riku turned back around, acting bored. In truth, Sora's story had intrigued him. But he wouldn't say that aloud.

"It's not stupid!"

"So then you're admitting it's a fairytale then?"

"No!" Sora crossed his arms in annoyance.

The silence drifted over them again, but neither seemed to mind. Riku was gazing at the sea, watching the last of the light disappear, and Sora also had turned his attention to the sunset. Neither saw Cloud, who gave a small smile before heading back toward the castle.

After a while, Sora pursed his lips together, although his eyes shone with happiness, "Riku?"

"Yeah?

"You suck."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Geez, this chapter was too horribly long. I dunno... Oh, yeah. My humor, it's the ghey, I know, but hey...hafta keep myself entertained until I reach the juicy romance, ne? (evil grin) Anyways, I would be really happy if you dusted off that review button and sent me something pretty! 


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